Popular Chinese game Genshin Impact reached its 1-year anniversary on September 28, 2021, and to celebrate their successful 1-year ride, MiHoYo posted a 1-minute video entitled, “Together on a Long Journey” on their YouTube channel and social media. Not only that, the Chinese game developer also offered a variety of rewards and events to fans in celebration of Genshin Impact’s 1 year anniversary, such as contests for cosplayers, artists, streamers, and other content creators.
However, this didn’t really sit well with the fans, who have been anticipating a myriad of in-game rewards from the developer and other events that would include most of the characters. Many members of the Genshin Impact community raised their feelings of disappointment towards the underwhelming rewards and events being done by MiHoYo on social media, aside from greeting the game a happy birthday.
Genshin’s energy towards its anniversary reminds me of my own energy towards my birthdays
— nevercrymoon 🌙 (@nevercrymoon) September 28, 2021
happy genshin anniversary! to contribute, i will be deleting the game <3 pic.twitter.com/COP5uG1ik1
— ✿ tav (@kazuhaworId) September 27, 2021
damn genshin POPPED OFF on the anniversary…. thank you mihoyo pic.twitter.com/uAk0BKEvHX
— absinth I genshin brainrot (@Absimpth) September 27, 2021
happy birthday genshin impact you pulled me out of the dark and lead me to somewhere darker <3
— Jun 🌺semi ia (@qingxinq) September 28, 2021
Once upon a time I stumbled upon a gacha game. This was known as Genshin Impact. I immediately became addicted; so much I played for 1 year with no breaks
Upon the 1 Year Anniversary, I was rewarded a single wish. The Magic Guide came home. I shed tears of joy.#GenshinAndMeHBD
— Enviosity (@Enviosity) September 28, 2021
…m-maybe the g-genshin anniversary reward is… um maybe there's… mihoyo is just… m-maybe tomorrow… they forgot…. maybe…#GenshinImpactanniversary #GenshinImpact pic.twitter.com/aQKtWJOts2
— Memorii. 🥞 (@cyMemorii) September 28, 2021
@GenshinImpact you got some explaining to do if you can give streamers 15k primos just like that why can’t you do that for the anniversary pic.twitter.com/MYu4Z82uUE
— zay ★ (@langqiaos) September 28, 2021
Thank you Mihoyo for this incredible anniversary. I'm done supporting you and your game anymore.#GenshinImpact #GenshinImpactanniversary #GenshinAndMeHBD pic.twitter.com/gBHiJRWGLo
— HiddeNz (@HiddeN558) September 28, 2021
Happy 1st anniversary to Genshin impact pic.twitter.com/kPhBdGTVl3
— Alie (@AlieLerArt) September 28, 2021
Fans of the game even went on the Apple App Store and Google Play store to send in their sentiments towards the game’s first anniversary offers—with a low rating.
GENSHIN IMPACT ratings have dropped to 3.9 over one night. Earlier it was at 4.6 #GenshinImpact pic.twitter.com/kFrGbtgCtU
— Genshin Impact News (@GenshinImpactUp) September 28, 2021
Happy Anniversary #GenshinImpact ❤❤❤ xoxo pic.twitter.com/PT0XgRYmVb
— Kimichan (@kimichan_art) September 28, 2021
This day supposed full with thanks and happines of players, turn into madness and rages.And Mihoyo just silent and do nothing.#GenshinImpact #genshinanniversary pic.twitter.com/RgfeThqgLX
— ヨセファン (Yosefan) (@yosharry21) September 28, 2021
bruh genshin impact low rating mihoyo better do something rn lmao (i feel bad for mihoyo ngl) pic.twitter.com/ecTi2P46ye
— T-yang (@thaekulit) September 28, 2021
umm…. @GenshinImpact is everything ok?? pic.twitter.com/cTauLgNpyR
— Leian (@LeianLeian08) September 28, 2021
#genshinimpact is on fire globally rn. Getting 1 star and 2 star ratings on ios and playstore 💀 pic.twitter.com/L48kT7svZo
— rhea (@AcroraLe) September 28, 2021
fuck off genshin impact is at 2.2 stars on the google play store 🤡🤡💀 after months and months of being in the top 10 all it took was their anniversary. amazing. pic.twitter.com/2DrWwX5DWh
— peppi 🍃 (@borbodor_) September 28, 2021
Fans have been talking all about the game’s first anniversary for a while now. Some have even said that it would be a good idea if MiHoYo decided to suddenly give out a free 5-star character, or anything else of significance, like the 1.3 update with the Lantern Rite Festival event. An article by Forbes was also written about it.
Let's Hope For A Great MONDAY Anniversary Announcement from MIHOYO! HOOOPIUMM 😃 LMK!#GenshinImpactanniversary
#原神 #GenshinImpact
BTW This is From MULTIVERSE 🐱🐱 pic.twitter.com/wXyCKuQLvL— PickyChoco (@picky_choco) September 26, 2021
Ah yes. Thank you so much for this amazing Anniversary gift of, "Hey! Do all of this stuff that you probably don't wanna do and there's a slight possibility you'll get rewarded!"
Man, come on. That concept of getting a free banner 5* character or weapon or both was much better. pic.twitter.com/H9cQEMCvjH
— ShadeMidnight (@ShadeMidnight22) September 20, 2021
To be fair, Genshin Impact fans are right to be mad at MiHoYo for not doing their best in the game’s first year anniversary. After being crowned the “Game of the Year” at the recently concluded Pocket Gamer Mobile Game Awards and at the 2020 Google Play and Apple’s App Store Best of 2020 awards, hype for the game has increased over a tenfold. And with those small “rewards”; a daily log-in event with small gifts, a content creator contest with not much profit, among many others, it’s no doubt that fans are outright dismayed over it.
As of writing, MiHoYo hasn’t released any statement regarding its poor anniversary rewards, or the outcry it has been receiving from fans. (Word is that they’re doing a crackdown or censorship on anything negative about it, but who knows?)
Happy first anniversary, Genshin Impact! Will there be more rewards soon? (Please).
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